3-year-old dies after crawling into unoccupied car

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The death of a 3-year-old child who died last week after initially being reported missing was a tragic accident, according to Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott.

Lott said the 3-year-old, identified by the Richland County coroner as Armani Shoemaker, was at home on Parliament Lake Drive with another adult last Friday while her parents were taking another child to a doctor’s appointment.

At one point, the video shows Armani opening the door and walking outside, where she eventually crawled into an unlocked, disabled car parked in the yard.

“She opened the door, went into the vehicle and closed the door, and the heat she experienced was the cause of her death,” Lott said.

When the parents got home and couldn’t find Armani in the house, they frantically called 911, Lott said. When officers arrived, they found Arman in the vehicle.

Officers immediately began CPR, placed her in the car and rushed her to the hospital while continuing to work on her. “The whole time they were working on her in the back of the car,” Lott said.

“Unfortunately it was too late,” Lott said.

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No charges will be filed. “This was a tragic accident,” Lott said. “Those parents loved that little girl.”

Lott described Armani as a bright, smiling, energetic three-year-old who loved playing with bubbles. “She was just a perfect little three-year-old child,” he said.

Armani’s family wants to prevent other families from losing a child in the same way. “The family does not want her death to be in vain,” Lott said.

“I say always lock your doors, and parents wanted me to emphasize today to keep your vehicles locked, even the ones that aren’t running,” Lott said. “It’s very simple: when you’re not inside, just press the little button and lock the door. That might have saved Armani’s life.”

“It can happen, and it can happen quickly,” Lott said. “Anyone who has ever had a three-year-old knows how fast they can run, how fast they are, what they can do and things you might not think they can do that they can do.”

“It was just a tragic accident that happened last Friday,” Lott said. “Let’s just hug your kids, take care of them and lock your doors.”

“Lock your doors,” Lott said. “It could save someone’s life.”

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